RAF Hooton Park - Hooton Park Trust

Hooton Park Trust

In the summer of 1986 Hooton opened its gates for two days to host the ’Wheels 86 Transport Extravaganza’. This event was so successful that four other ‘Wheels Shows (1988, 1992, 1994 and 1996) were held. Over 80,000 people attended these events, and many thousands of pounds were donated to charities from the proceeds. For the first time since 1957 the runways were used. Harrier jets thrilled the crowd, and for a few precious hours, cutting edge aviation technology paid homage to this pioneering aviation site.

Early in the 1980s, the group of four people organising these events successfully approached the local authority to obtain a preservation order on the three historic World War I hangars. English Heritage bestowed on the three hangars grade II Listed building status in 1985 because of their rarity as a group of three double-bay hangars utilising the Belfast truss form of construction.

In the late 1980s this group of four formed themselves into an alliance called The Griffin Trust, and Vauxhall Motors granted them a peppercorn lease on two of the hangars. The third hangar continued to be used to service Vauxhall motor cars.

After a great deal of work, the buildings were brought into some semblance of order. Despite many attempts to raise capital for the repair and maintenance of the buildings The Griffin Trust failed to secure any substantial grant funding.

On 9 October 2000, The Hooton Park Trust obtained the freehold of the three World War I aircraft hangars, with associated ancillary accommodation and land at Hooton Park. The sale of the freehold concluded twelve months of intensive negotiations between The Hooton Park Trust and Vauxhall Motors. These were entered into in response to Vauxhall Motor’s application in September 1998 to the local planning authority (Ellesmere Port and Neston Borough Council), for Listed Building Consent to demolish the hangars. This created an enormous protest from aircraft enthusiasts and local people, who were determined that the buildings should be saved in recognition of their role in the development of military and civilian aviation. The campaign was also supported by people concerned with the architectural value contained within the site’s buildings.

Vauxhall Motors and their parent company General Motors, met with representatives of The Hooton Park Trust. The Trust persuaded the car giant of the value of the heritage asset they owned, and as a gesture in recognition of this the freehold was passed to The Hooton Park Trust. The motor giant provided substantial financial support to supplement planned applications for public sector funding as well as support expenses to aid the Trust in the first three years of operation.

English Heritage commissioned a thematic review of military aviation sites throughout the United Kingdom in 1998. In that review, Hooton Park was recommended for upgrade to grade II* (two star) listing. Belfast truss hangars were now exceedingly rare, and Hooton Park was in the fortunate position of having three double bay examples set in context with their original ancillary buildings.

In March 2003, grade II* (two star) listing was achieved and a scheme of emergency repairs was devised by consultant engineers working on behalf of the buildings owner's. The Hooton Park Trust have secured initial grants from English Heritage, Heritage Lottery Fund and WREN (landfill tax credits), and work was due to begin on restoring the hangars and ancillary accommodation in September 2007. Since that date, there has been a major roof collapse in one of the hangars, potentially endangering its future. Parts of the site remain open to the public, and the Trust offers guided tours to groups and individuals interested in Hooton Park's rich architectural and aviation history.